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CNN International: No Ukraine power grids damaged in latest Russian air strikes on Kyiv; Four people died crossing English Channel trying to reach U.K. when boat capsized; Iranian footballer Amir Nasr- Azadani could be next protestor to be executed; FTX CEO Sam Bankman- Fried arrested in Bahamas at the request of the U.S.; Today Morocco takes on France at Qatar in semi-final game of World Cup; Migrant worker has died after falling from either floor in Lusail Stadium; COVID restrictions lifting in China; U.S. lawmakers trying to ban TikTok. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired December 14, 2022 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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MAX FOSTER, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: Hello, welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London.

Just ahead, Russia launches a fresh wave of drone attacks on Kyiv, but Ukraine says their air defenses anymore damage to the power grid.

Then, international outrage is mounting over Iran's execution of two men. And human rights groups warn more death sentences are to come.

Plus, just a few hours to go until Morocco takes on France in the Football World Cup. We'll take a current look at why team Morocco has electrified the region and, indeed, the world.

Ukraine's power grid operator reports no energy facilities were damaged during the latest wave of Russian air strikes on Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says all 13 drones were shot down in Wednesday's attack. One of those drone fragments contained the words, For Risan (ph), suggesting payback for a strike on an airbase deep inside Russia earlier this month.

Now, it comes as U.S. officials tell CNN the Biden administration is preparing to send the Patriot Missile Defense System to Ukraine. The Kremlin responded by saying, if that happens it will be a legitimate target for Russia.

CNN's Will Ripley joins us live from Kyiv. It would be seen as a major escalation, wouldn't it, by Russia, arguably?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that may be one of the reasons, although, of course, it's never been explicitly stated publicly that the United States and NATO have been so hesitant to provide the Patriot Air Defense System because in the eyes of Russia it would make them complicit in terms of escalating this war, which is dragging on closer and closer towards the dreaded year mark.

But nonetheless, the Ukrainians insist that they need these Patriot Missile Defense Systems to defend against this onslaught of Russian missiles. And then, of course, we also have the issue of these attack drones, these explosive drones that are made in Iran and perform what some here in Kyiv describe as Kamikaze-style attacks where they detonate after hitting their target here in the central district of Kyiv in the early morning hours as a lot of people were getting ready for work, there were explosions a very short distance from where I'm standing now.

And there were the - also the sound that some residents reported hearing of the worrying (ph) sound of the engines of these drones. But as you mentioned, Max, all 13 of them were shot down by a Ukrainian air defense system.

And really when I say systems, I mean, it's these teams of people who are often holding, you know, on their shoulders aiming and firing and shooting these down. It's pretty extraordinary if you think about it. And it just goes to show how in-depth the Ukrainians have become at responding quickly to this kind of threat when it is detected.

These drones, as you know, fly at a very low altitude. This is the first strike on Central Kyiv, where I am now, in a number of weeks. And it did cause some damage. There was a hole in a building. Some apartments had their windows smashed. You could actually see remnants of the drone in some of the video that has emerged from the scene a couple of kilometers from here.

And yet, remarkably, no damage to the power grid, even though there have been continuous rolling blackouts here throughout Ukraine and certainly here in the capital, there's no exception, power interruptions are a regular part of everyday life. The power grid is far from stable. They're trying to do the best they can to give people as much electricity as possible. But this constant bombardment has created really problems.

Problems that expected to escalate during the winter months if Ukraine is not able to deflect even more of these Russian attacks because all it takes is one drone to get through to cause significant damage and potentially plunge an entire area or even an entire region to darkness.

That's certainly what we saw happen in Southern Ukraine in the Odesa region over the weekend, when Russia launched 15 of these drones, 5 of them hit their targets and 1.5 million people were plunged into the dark and cold. Thirteen drones used to attack the capital Kyiv. They shot them all down. That is a victory today. But, of course, the Ukrainians know tomorrow could bring a whole new set of challenges and likely more attacks from Russia, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Will Ripley in Kyiv. Thank you.

Here, the U.K. government confirms that at least four people have died after the small boat they were - they tried to cross the English Channel in on early Wednesday started collapsing. The British Coast Guard, French Navy helicopters and a fishing vessel in the area aren't certain the distress call. This all unfolds in near-freezing conditions out there. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other U.K. officials were expressing sorrow over the deaths.

Let's bring in CNN's Nina dos Santos who's following developments. And this comes after, you know, a plan was unveiled by the British government to try to prevent this sort of tragedy happening.

NINA DOS SANTOS; CNN EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Max. Repeatedly the British government and its hardline Home Secretary Sue- Ellen Braverman who have been criticized for now opening enough safe, easier-to-obtain legal routes to come to the U.K. for migrants and asylum seekers, desperately seeking shelter in this country.

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And then when they do get here there's also been fatalities in over- crowded detention centers as well, where their asylum claims are set to be processed.

So, this is the latest in another fatality for the Home Secretary to have to deal with. Four people sadly losing their life after the small boat trying to make its way across the channel between France and England appeared to capsize at 3:05 in the morning during this freezing cold snap that the country is dealing with, where temperatures will have probably been below zero there.

It's believed that, according to British media reports, many dozen people were on this small boat. As you said, four of them have tragically lost their lives. British media say that at least 30 people were pulled from the water directly as their stricken boat appeared to have capsized.

Sue-Ellen Braverman, the Home Secretary, who I was just mentioning before there, has just made a statement in the House of Commons, where again, she's come under pressure to try and defend the U.K. stance on migration. She says that this is another reminder to try and stop people smugglers from encouraging people to make these parallel journeys at this time of year.

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SUE-ELLEN BRAVERMAN, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: As the Prime Minister told the House only yesterday, it is not cruel or unkind to want to break the stranglehold of the criminal gangs who trade in human misery and who exploit our system and our laws. He was right. This morning's tragedy, like the loss of 27 people on one November day last year, is the most sobering reminder possible of why we have to end these crossings.

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DOS SANTOS: Now Max, some estimates say that 45,000 people have attempted this dangerous journey to the United Kingdom so far in the past 11 or 12 months and that maybe up to 400, 500 people tried to cross the channel in the last few days alone. And what's also exacerbating this situation is a tense relationship with France, which on its side has to also prevent some of these boats from leaving in the dead at night, often overcrowded, across treacherous conditions.

Now, the Home Secretary is also coming under pressure, as well, and indeed the government in the form of Rishi Sunak to try to ameliorate that relationship with France to prevent these boats from setting off in the first place. But as you heard there, yet another tragic reminder of the difficult situations that people find themselves in trying desperately to get to the U.K. often with parallels conditions that they have to face and also the loss of life.

Sue-Ellen Braverman, there was just reminding the House of Commons that 27 people lost their lives almost 12 months ago, back in November 2021, in almost exactly the same circumstances trying to get to the U.K. in an overcrowded boat that ended up sinking in the middle of the night.

Max.

FOSTER: Yes, awful pictures coming up from that as well. Nina, thank you.

And E.U. official caught up in a corruption scandal is appearing before a Belgium court. Eva Kaili was stripped of her title as a vice president of the European Parliament after Belgium police arrested her and three others last week.

The Greek politician is part of a growing case where Qatar allegedly bribed European Parliament members with money or gifts to gain favor. Kaili spoke in glowing terms about the World Cup host nation just a few weeks ago. She and Qatari government officials deny any wrongdoing.

International outrage mounting of Iran's execution of two men who it says were involved in violence at recent anti-government protests. State media report the two men were hanged over the past week. And Amnesty International says nine others are at risk of receiving the death penalty adding to the 11 people already sentenced to death.

Possibly facing execution is Iranian football, footballer Amir Nasr- Azadani, who state media is accused of being involved in the death of three security officers during the unrest.

CNN Salma Abdelaziz, monitoring the situation, joining us with more from London. It's so difficult to know what happened in these specific cases because we weren't there. But what do you manage to garner?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are serious concerns, Max, that.

I'm going to tell you a little bit about him first. He's a 26-year-old footballer. He was a member of Iran's National Youth Team. He's played for several major clubs, so a high-profile person there. Now, he was detained on November 27, and what authorities are alleging, what they are accusing him of is of being part of an armed group and allegedly being involved in the killing of three members of the security forces.

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But, activists, rights groups, say actually all of these allegations are false. His only crime is speaking out against the government and that really, he is the victim of a sham trial, sham proceedings. One rights group said, don't even consider these courts. They're more like lynching committees set there to help and repress these protests across Iran.

Now, again, Amir Nasr-Azadani is not the only one. You mentioned, there are several other people who have already been sentenced to death. Several others who are still going through those death penalty proceedings and thousands of people who have been detained. And rights groups say Iran is using its judiciary, employing it as a tool of repression to crush descent.

Max?

FOSTER: There's some talk, isn't there, Iran being ousted from the U.N. Women's Body over these crackdowns and that would be seen, wouldn't it, as a big show of unity on the global stage, because it's not entirely clear how much support there is for the protesters. At least they don't feel there's much support around the world, actual support.

ABDELAZIZ: It's a - it's a complicated one, but yes, there is that vote on the Women's Body in the United Nations. That's being led by the United States, which is, of course, making the argument that Iran has no place whatsoever sitting on a body that is supposed to defend women's rights when it is busy trying to suppress people fighting for women's rights in its very country. When it is busy trying to impose hijad laws and other issues that, of course, protesters on the ground want to see overturned. So yes, there is that happening in the United Nations.

And on your point about the support that protesters are receiving, it's really important to remember that when we're talking about Amir Nas-Azadani, for example, that this crackdown has become so broad, so wide in its reach that soccer is in its crosshairs. That football is in its crosshairs.

You'll remember that very critical moment during the World Cup, Max, when Iran's football team came out and they did not sing the national anthem. They refused to sing their own national anthem at their first game in the World Cup. And then later activists said that their families were actually threatened by Iran's authorities. I think that was a moment in which the world became exposed to the struggle that these protesters are facing.

Max?

FOSTER: Yes, OK, Salma, thank you.

The former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried could spend the next two months in the Bahamas, but it's no vacation because he was denied bail on Tuesday after police were - arrested him at the request of the U.S. His next court date isn't until February 8. Bankman-Fried faces extradition to the U.S. where he's been indicted on eight criminal charges, ranging from conspiracy and fraud to campaign finance violations.

This all stems from his cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which abruptly filed for bankruptcy last month. If convicted on all charges he could face up to 115 years in prison.

Inflation has started to ease a little in the U.K. The Bank of England says the inflation rate fell to 10.7 percent in November compared to the previous November. That's down from 11.1 percent in October, but still, obviously very high.

The central bank is still expected to raise interest rates for the ninth time when it meets on Thursday to bring them down.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is also expected to announce a rate hike later on Wednesday.

Now still to come, a historic moment at the World Cup, Team Morocco going where no African or Arab team has gone before.

How they're electrifying and unifying an entire region.

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FOSTER: Later today Morocco will take on France at the Qatar World Cup. Morocco will be the first African team and the first team from the Arab world to have ever made it this far in the World Cup. And it's safe to say they have a huge level of support.

So, how has Team Morocco unified people across the region and, indeed, the world? This was the scene when they beat Portugal. You can see how excited they are. But look at the fans. These are fans in Qatar, but also in Gaza in Morocco and in Belgium as well. I think outside those regions you've also got this underdog story, haven't you?

But also, this other part of the story which really indeed, the Moroccan team to the world. This is where some of their moms went out on the pitch, celebrated with them. But crucially the player prioritized their moms in that moment. Those Moroccan moms have become real superstars of this tournament.

CNN's Larry Madowo is usually based in Nairobi and Kenya, but he's currently in Doha for us. But before you got there you went along to some of these viewing parties. Is it true to say that most of Africa is behind the Moroccan team, even the countries that are competing with Morocco in normal times?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think so. This is the ultimate underdog story, right? So, I've spent some time since the tournament began watching the game with the fans in Togo, in Kenya and Angola in South African.

And Africans feel that they're represented by this team because when you remember the first team an African team competed in the World Cup in 1974, that was Zaire, present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. The lost nine nil to Yugoslavia. And now there's this African team on the - very much on the brink of possibly making it to the finals. And people just think it's incredible and it speaks to how far African people have come, Max.

FOSTER: And it's not just Africa, is it? We keep talking about the Arab world as well. But there's been this real connection hasn't there? Across the region where you are now, also liking with Morocco. And I gather, huge amounts of fans coming into support them.

MADOWO: A huge anticipation, because the Moroccan team has this dual identity for the Arab and fully African and being embraced by both sides, the African side, and the Arab side, and that's why there's so many Moroccan fans around Doha and Qatar today because they're all going to the game and they're going to bring such amazing energy to that. And that's a representation that you see. And the Moroccans have embraced the dual identity as well, the Moroccan team, the Arab and African identity and the fans love them right back for it.

FOSTER: You're also investigating a bit of a negative part to the story. Well, not a bit of a negative, a very big negative part of this story, you've been investigating some of the deaths involved that we've reporting on here, on CNN.

MADOWO: That's right, Max. A Kenyan security guard who was a migrant worker at Lusail Stadium, that's the venue of yesterday's game, we understand that fell from the eighth floor and died yesterday. This incident happened on Saturday.

And FIFA and Qatar both say they're investigating the circumstances that lead to the death of this 24-year-old. We've spoken to his family, who are distraught. And they say they haven't heard much from his employer, the security company that contracted him to come here to Qatar since last November. And they just want to get justice.

His mother spoke to CNN today.

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GRACE NYAMBURA KIBUE, JOHN VJAU KIBUE'S MOTHER: (through translator) He used to tell me, Mom, you held me when I was jobless. I will never leave you and I never want you to suffer. I know you pray for me, and I want to help you as much as I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MADOWO: And this speaks to the conditions that migrant workers have faced in Qatar, right? The organizers have repeatedly said that Qatar has reformed its labor practices since 2020. It's dismantled the kafala system, which some people criticized for keeping migrant workers in (inaudible) situations, and yet there's been these reports about conditions that are less than ideal for migrant workers in Qatar in the buildup to the World Cup, and also even during the World Cup, because this is the second migrant worker reported dead since the tournament began, Max.

FOSTER: Is this one of the legacies, do you think, from this World Cup? A reminder of how human rights are hugely important to any international event and perhaps weren't taken as seriously in the buildup, frankly, to this event, which has been handled brilliantly from a football point of view.

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MADOWO: It's been a big debate, right? Because FIFA and the organizers of the World Cup here would like the world to focus on the soccer and the football and focus - and avoid politicizing the other issues. And yet, this is also a major part of this.

And it's only because of sustained interest in this subject that the World Cup Chief of Qatar acknowledged that between 400 to 500 migrants could have died in projects connected to the tournaments. And so, that's human rights angle of business, also a key part of the story that suddenly needs a lot more attention and will be talked about beyond when the games end this past Sunday.

FOSTER: Larry, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us with both those angles to this huge story. Today is the last semi-final at the World Cup, with that historic match set to take place between Morocco and France. We'll have much more all of the action in Qatar coming up in around 10 minutes' time with World Sport.

Now, China has been pulling back on its strict coronavirus regulations. Now that COVID is making a comeback there, were they eased too much and too soon as well? We'll take a look after the break.

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FOSTER: After years of strict COVID restrictions China is finally starting to ease the rules a bit. This as the rate of COVID infections, though, is rising.

We're going to see what live was like in Beijing with the government's new direction. Selena Wang hit the streets to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China is starting to unravel its zero-COVID policy. But instead of crowds out celebrating this is how reopening is going in China. Closed shops, empty streets, people avoiding each other. Because for the first time since the start of the pandemic COVID is spreading like wildfire in Beijing. People now either have COVID or they're scared to get it.

So, I just spoke to the shop worker in this store, and he told me that he's the only employee without COVID, which is why he can still come to work. And he says, I am the only customer who has come into this store all day.

The only crowds I'm seeing in Beijing, outside of hospitals like this and pharmacies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

WANG: So, he says his fever's gone down, but he still has a cold, hoping to buy medicine, but he's worried that they don't have any stock because there's these long lines forming outside pharmacies across the country. People are trying to stock up, but stuff is selling out.

You know, for years China has been demonizing COVID, playing up the risks of long COVID. And now, suddenly, state media's publishing headlines every day saying COVID is not a big deal, it's whiplash for a lot of people. Because just weeks before if you got COVID your whole community would have gone into hard lockdown. This is such a major and sudden change.

So, China is finally opening up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WANG: How do you feel about it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel it's pretty great. I wish they could have opened up earlier.

WANG: Has business been very slow or difficult?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, you can see there - and there are not that many customers. The other people just got the virus.

WANG: Are you scared about getting COVID?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm worried about my parents and my grandparents a little bit.

WANG: People are relieved though that you no longer have to go a quarantine facility if you get COVID. Getting sent to one of those rundown facilities was such a big source of anxiety before.

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And these health QR codes that have been used for years to track and dictate where we can go, well, the government is now saying that you don't need them to enter most public places.

(Speaking in Chinese).

So, I don't need to scan my code. It feels surreal though that I can literally just walk in.

As soon as I walked in. So, she said I can only do online delivery. So, you can't even sit inside or order inside in Shake Shack.

So, outside this Starbucks they have a sign saying you need to show a 40-hour COVID test, even though the national rules don't require it, in Beijing you still need a recent PCR test in order to enter restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues.

There are way less places now to get COVID tests in the city. And the lines are short because most people are just staying at home. But just a week before at this exact same location this was packed with people waiting in line.

So behind me is a graveyard of COVID testing booths. It's like almost overnight in Beijing the removed all of these testing locations and here's the remnants.

After years of harsh lockdowns, the government if finally letting people manage their own health. But people don't feel ready. And experts say the country isn't either. The country hasn't vaccinated enough of the elderly population and hasn't improved the healthcare capacity enough. So, this reopening, it's going to continue to be messy and uneven.

Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.

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FOSTER: Now, a group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced a bill aiming to ban Tik Tok from operating in the U.S. The proposed legislation would block the social media companies in China and a handful of other countries.

Senator Marco Rubio says action is needed to combat the threat from Tik Tok, which he calls a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party.

At least seven states have banned the app from state-owned devices and so has the U.S. military. Other government agencies too.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Alex Thomas is up next.

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